Are the tasks just about making money ? Isn't bussiness about doing a good job and getting repeat bussiness ? You could sell something that broke after a month to make money but would anyone buy from you again ?

That was the point Nick made on TA:YF last night. However, given the limitations of the format and the likelihood that any customer's "reduction" of the contract price roughly equates to the likelihood of repeat business, it is about as close as you can get.

Isn't bussiness about doing a good job and getting repeat bussiness ?

Yep but when was the last time the Apprentice was actually a business show?

Basically even though the tasks are short term, the final desision is a long-term one.

While Yasmina may have helped to win the task saving herself for at least this week, by skimping so much on the quality of food, something that she touts herself as a expert on she may have done herself a bit more long-term harm, something that may come up when she's on the firing line later.

Take Sara for instance in S4, while not the most obvious candidate for the win, the fact that she 'appeared' to contribute nothing really to the other tasks hurt her in the long-term.

Or Alex in S4, each week he survived by a game-play strategy which may have helped him in the short run going by week-by-week. However when it came down to the final all the game-playing in the world couldn't help him face a more long-term idea of a task.

EVEN BETTER however was the Ice Cream task for S4, while Lindi and Jennifers exclusivity deal was good for a short term task, the problem was that by doing so it cut off any long-term possible prospects, should the situation be a proper real business.

The penalty as you say factored quality in. Can't remember the figures or what would have happened if the boys had done well enough not to get one whilst the girls did. The penalty might not have been severe enough but this week both teams did badly enough to get one and the boys strategy and pricing was weaker too so arguably the figures told the right story.